The only point at which this approach will make sense is when there is stable power supply if not this is equvalent to burning money, it really is. There might be more to it because i refuse to believe Yaradua is that careless

true talk guys. we indeed need a revolution in our power sector. in this age of renewable energy, we should move past dependence on oil. for crying out loud, our oil reserve is postulated to last less than 50years!!! are
its time for our government to be proactive.
yeah solar energy will be good, especially for the north, we should begin think of waste to energy, biofuels, even the gas flares that are being wasted can generate energy, yeah there are trade offs but then SUSTAINABILITY is key here.

omo i tire for us o!

pls lets jointly scream it to their hearing

for many years nitel(govt) operated monopoly and yet could not make profit,the pto/gsm operators(private) operated for a year with all the overheads and logistics problems and yet were able to declare big profit what are we talking about ,government has no business in power generation apart from playing the role of the regulator period!!! see what it has done with the oil subsidy,has it solved the fuel problem in the country? capital NO

Tonim:

oziomatv, I did some research on solar energy, guess what, california has mandated that all power companies operating
in the state must derive 20% of their power source from renewable energy by the year 2010.

To meet this mandate, Solel Inc is building a 553 MW solar thermal plant (the world's largest solar plant)
in the californian desert. It has already signed a 25 year power purchasing agreement with a california power utility company.

Solel Inc has promised to sell power at rates competitive with plants powered by fossil fuel (such as gas).

We should start exploring solar energy now, we can have both solar based and fossil based power plants in Nigeria.



_{actually, those solar based plants would be better suited for the north}

Your the only one who understands my language. Thanks for your contribution, I'll keep on campaigning for this cause I want to base in a place that's my home. For how long shall we keep on living BLACKMAN FOR YANSH WHITEMAN FOR FACE.
what stops our locomotive govt. from reasoning like others instead of waiting till someone reminds us of what to do before we can act.
People are moving into solar energy while we don't have budget for that.

we dont know what we have till its gone ,but we dont even know what we are missing till it arrives.

make them give us constant light for 2 years first,No payment,notin notin and then we go believe them,them no won seed b4 them ripe ni?

no lite here for 5 days n so so carbon we dey emit,well make we kill planet earth,let these people get their asses right,we need other ways to generate light and the federal govt should stop being nosy when they know they cant even deliver,na so BABA talk,16$b miss, Omo Fela sun re O

SKIT

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See u need see the weather now,damn so hot,why u want to ask,too much generators in Nigeria,we dont burn all the whole ozone layer finish, so the sun go soon fal down for here, omo ye ri e,

skyblue,cola n oso. said it all, even if private investors come in,make dem get patience,small small dem go enjoy,so the issue of the current price not being healthy for private investor is mere gimmicks, na small small O ja re,

Tariff for the high-powered residences? or the common man's home that had no light for four or more months?

The question is What rating do we give the existing supply?

10%?
50%?
90%?

The problem with NEPA and the country's unfortunate energy crisis (apart from the current failed or non-existent energy policy) is a problem of lack of law and order in order words it is a Nigerian problem.

Higher electricity tariff whether it is subsidized or not is hardly what is needed. All it means is more money to share-money that could be used by state to render other badly needed services. The question is how many people pay light bills in Nigeria? First of all you have to start by discounting a particular state in the Niger Delta (to whose residents payment for electricity consumed is a strange modern if not alien concept), most serving and retired Nepa staff and their families, the armed forces including the Police (yes), I mean you can go on and on and on. In the end law abiding citizens like pennywise are left to shoulder the burden. If they can get 90% to pay bills they will realize more than what subsidy brings.

Solution to the country's energy problem is no where in sight if law enforcement -that key issue that excites investors remains absent. Nigeria is sooooo under-policed. The federal Government can start by allowing the re-introduction of state police since they don't have the means to pay and equip a truly meaningful policing of the country. No state is breaking away now.Then , the judiciary and all that yada yada , Hopefully/eventually the law makers will know why they are in Abuja.

i really is a great outlet for expressing out Frustrations with our past leaders.

@zorao we should try to reduce the ammount of oil we sell and be focusing on refining our oil to sell higher value products. Also, sunshine is one of "the things we have" so why can't we at some stage take advantage of that?

Guys make una wait first some thing is realy fishy here but we have wait and see what happens @ the end of the day.

@ zorao


Countries that would switch to solar energy would do that irrespective of what Nigeria does.  And even if the switch to alternative sources of energy affects Oil sales , then it is all good. Cos I personally believe that the presence of oil in Nigeria has been a curse rather then a blessing. Moreover, I dont think solar energy would completely eliminate the need for the conventional source of energy but rather would complement it.

The problem I have with solar en ergy is that I am at loss what the initial take off capital to start off a solar plant would be. The running cost might be cheap but the initial investment needed to start off such a plant might enormous. Is Nigeria ready for that kind of investment yet? Another question is what time frame would this kind of project need? How long does it take to start and bring into completion a solar plant---- a year, 5 years, 10 years   Try and also consider the NIGERIAN FACTOR into that. We all know how long it takes to build a stretch of road in Nigeria (3 times the normal time frame). If it is going to be such a long term project, are the citizens gonna wait that long before they have a solution to thier energy problems

My suggestion:
Bleep the subsidy!!!!! Invest that money into bringing NEPA back to life, like someone pointed out------ cables, NEW TRANSFORMERS etc. Anything to make NEPA or PHCN , watever, a likkle bit more efficient.
Secondly, plan on how to privatise the energy sector. Make the environment suitable for private investors (that might even attract foriegn companies) .
Third as long term plan, plan on to set up solar plants at strategic places in the country. Each year's budget should have some dough set aside for this project and gradually but surely move towards solar electrification of the country.

Uche2nna:

Secondly, plan on how to privatise the energy sector. Make the environment suitable for private investors (that might even attract foriegn companies) .

I understand what you mean but it's really heartbreaking that the government of Nigeria cannot run a functional Electrical Sector.

Its amazing Nigeria can come up with billions when needed!

Will throwing more bloody money at the rubbish electricity system work NO!

I suggest they spend that money buying rice theres a shortage incase they didnt know

Radiant:

I understand what you mean but it's really heartbreaking that the government of Nigeria cannot run a functional Electrical Sector.

It is but governmental institutions have shown us times without number how inefficient they could be. The attitude of "government biziness is no man's biziness" has eaten deep into us and unfortunately it might take a long time for us to be disabused of that kind of thinking. For now our best bet is to privatize. People tend to take thier work more seriously when in a privately owned setting.

While privatizing the energy industry seems a brilliant venture will the government allow it or will we still just waddle in the crap we have been in for years? I suspect the government will not want to privatize it but maintain the disorder existing.

LadyT:

Its amazing Nigeria can come up with billions when needed!

Will throwing more bloody money at the rubbish electricity system work NO!

I suggest they spend that money buying rice theres a shortage incase they didnt know

They should actually spend more money developing rice farms or any other farms for that matter. The food shortage issue has always been on the table ever since the issue of alternate energy came up. Nigerians and the Nigerian government are just acknowledging it now. Thats a damn shame.
The Nigerian government is laughable to say the least. No projection into the future, no prediction of future trends. I wonder what they actually do in that Aso rock.

Uche2nna our goverment is a disgrace!
Where did these billions come from. We have that much money and people cant afford 3 square meals?
What the HELL did we gain independance for?
At least if the white man was still there he would oppressed us but fixed up the God damn country!

hmm!!
another "project"
We are blessed oxygen floats freely in the atmosphere (thanks to God and trees)
If it were not so, millions would have perished fron non supply.

@Poster

What electricity is he talking about?? You mean he wants to put tariff on Candle and Lanterns?? Yeye People !!

Finecat:

@Poster

What electricity is he talking about?? You mean he wants to put tariff on Candle and Lanterns?? Yeye People !!

LMAO!!!!

zoraro:

All contributions so far have been wonderful, but those who are calling for a move to renewable energy sources should remember that "you use what you have to get what you want". If we are not an oil producing country this would have been an excellent solution, like it is, it would be shooting our own foot. If the whole world follow us then, who will buy our oil?

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this oil go soon finish. we don't have to wait till it does (fire brigade approach!)!

iou111:

this oil go soon finish. we don't have to wait till it does (fire brigade approach!)!

that's why i tell Nigerians to be smart, dont wait there until the oil dries up. Get ur family out to dry land in Europe or north america.

[size=14pt]ANYBODY HEAR ABOUT PEAK OIL?[/size]
You guys should read up on it, its an intersting theory,,,,
needless to say renewable energy will soon be a necessity

I took a solar energy class last year and we discussed peak oil. However I watched Nightline or Dateline (one of the lines) and they said that the whole peak oil theory is a scare tactic.

wendymanda:

I took a solar energy class last year and we discussed peak oil. However I watched Nightline or Dateline (one of the lines) and they said that the whole peak oil theory is a scare tactic.

I'm doing a PG degree in sustainability and i hav attended a number of talks on peak oil,,,
obviously there is no proof but the signs are there
the propergander is largely fronted by the American govt because they are the largest importers,,, they are trying to avert a panic,

think about it,,, Saudi Arabia has reduced its exports a number of time in the past months, its excuse being regulation of oil prices,,, yet oil prices keep going up,
George Bush even had to personally visit him to convince him to open up the taps,,,

oil from tar sands (which is substandard) is increasingly popular,,, that is because all "the easy oil" deposits hav been found

if u study the production life of an oil rig u'd see that production reduces as time goes by and how many new oil wells hav been found in recent times

the rationale behind behinds Dubai rapid tourist development is partly because they are getting prepared for when d oil runs out,,,,

i could go on but it would be more interesting if u read some of the reports widely available]

Nigeria's oil reserves are still quit substantial, but the western world is approaching panic,,, why do we hav to wait till we get to that point

4 Him:


that's why i tell Nigerians to be smart, don't wait there until the oil dries up. Get your family out to dry land in Europe or north america.

but rather than advocating people flocking out of the country, wouldn't it be better to start finding alternative sources
of revenue to boost our gdp, like agriculture, tourism etc ?

what is all the fuss about renewable energy? Don't be foolish - even the so called 'developed countries' can't afford to use widespread renewable sources of energy YET, and some here are touting it as some solution? Wake up and smell the coffee.

I believe the increase in tariff is very much in order - what may be lost under the guise of 'why pay more for crappy service' complaints is a damning reality -at present cost level, electricity is too cheap to sustain proper maintenance and replacement of current generating facilities and investment in new capacity.

More importantly, the higher electricity tariff (based on a multi-year price agreement by NERC the regulator) will give IPP developers an incentive - since they can charge reasonable rates for the power they generate, thus making investment by the private sector more viable. In the long run, this will achieve improved power generation in my view.

Regardless of the emotional responses on 'what electricity? and what not' this IS a step in the right direction, sustained planning can now be made with the multi-year tariff by anyone planning to invest in the power sector and reliable cost estimates/profitability can be made to source for financing. Frankly I would prefer power costing more and being reliable than paying peanuts for nothing.

Renewable energy does have a role to play, but for now, they can only serve as niche applications in areas far removed from the grid. What is required now is the settling of the pipeline vandalisation issue to allow gas to flow, and rapid completion of the NIPP project/ take off of new IPP's, anything else is a pipe dream.

4 Him:

that's why i tell Nigerians to be smart, don't wait there until the oil dries up. Get your family out to dry land in Europe or north america.

there is no dry land
Nigeria is actually in a better position than most countries,,, our reserves are estimated to last another 50 or so yrs with current demands (keep in mind that demand is increasing)

some European countries hav reserves to last as low as 10yrs on current demands
why do u think there is the sudden interest in reusable energy